The Gypsy Curse

Chapter 3

It has been a week since my life-changing news. Dad has been cooking like crazy; his coping mechanism. I'm not complaining, but our fridge is overflowing, and I've been bringing over dishes to Lainy, our elderly neighbor who lives by herself and her 3 cats. She has quite enjoyed the meals. 

I have spent an ample amount of time this last week on the internet and in the library finding anything I can on my heritage and this curse. So far, most of what I have found has been fiction books, and the farthest actual history I have found was dated back to my great-great-great-grandparents. 

I'm currently sitting in the park cross-legged reading "The Gyspy". There is a light wind periodically blowing my hair into my face. After the third time putting it behind my ears, I get annoyed and put my hair in a high messy bun while continuing reading. While wrapping my hair through the last loop a heavy and fluffy being jumps on my lap causing my book to drop onto the ground. I little squeak escapes me. Startled, I look up and am greeted by a slobbery tongue and an excited-looking Tank. 

"I'm so sorry!" An embarrassed voice says pulling Tank off of me. It's the attractive man who I embarrassedly checked out. He makes eye contact with me. "Oh, it's you!" 

"Hey," I say sheepishly, slightly pushing Tank away, and leaning down to pick up my book. 

"We meet again, I see, and almost the same way as last time." His laugh makes me want to melt. "I'm Oliver." He extends the hand that isn't wrapped around Tank's leash. 

"Anastasia," I respond enclosing my hand in his. "Nice to meet you." I normally don't give people my first name, but for some reason I did with Oliver.

"Anastasia," He repeats my name and nods like he was approving the name my parents chose for me. "That's a beautiful name." Do not blush. "I'm sorry about Tank. He saw an opportunity to run and took it." He looks at my book. "Sorry about your book."

"That's perfectly fine. No damage done." I hold up the book as proof.

"The Gypsy". What's the about?" He asks actually sounding interested.

"Oh, umm, just the history of gypsies throughout the centuries. It's nothing really," I respond flicking my hand to add to my point that it really was nothing.

"That actually sounds fascinating. My grandmother is a historian and a couple of years ago she briefly studied the movement of gypsies to help my little sister out with her history project. She knows a lot about a lot. Is this a just-for-fun book or are you studying for something?"

I couldn't really explain to this beautiful, curly hair, blue-eyed stranger that I was looking for a way to break a curse so I don't end up dying from this disease. "Mostly for fun, but I am curious about it. It is part of my heritage." Not a complete lie. 

"If you want, I can give you my number and I'm sure my grandmother would love to chat with you about this." Smooth. Really smooth. 

"I would like that." I feel a blush creep up my neck. 

Oliver smiles at me and hands me his phone. I type in my name and number and return his phone back to his hand. Tank licks my hand as I do so, and a small laugh leaves me as I pet his head. 

"I was wondering," Oliver starts tipping back on the heels of his feet, "do you have any plans for the next hour or so? I saw an ice cream truck parked down by the pier..." he drifts off.

"I would love to." I stand up and start walking toward the ocean. I turn back towards Oliver when I didn't hear footsteps following. "Are you coming or am I going to have to eat two ice creams for us?" I joke.